The Story Behind the Art

The seeds for “Destruction of the Goddess” were sewn in my second grade class at Tybee Island Elementary. Our Odyssey of the Mind team chose a challenge that involved Pegasus, a mythical character from Greco-Roman mythology. That began a lifelong interest in mythologies and folklore. I began with the Greco-Romans and later became very interested in Chinese, Hindu, and Norse lore. I’m sure my thirst for knowledge will take me across the globe as this project continues because I can’t image it ever being truly finished.

In modern society, the word goddess has no negative connotation and our collective memory of the goddesses from mythology is positive – who wouldn’t want to be the beautiful and sought after Venus? After reading deeper into her back story, I can honestly say I would not. Many of the stories about these goddesses are terrible. They were often victims of forced marriage, rape, habitual adultery, victim blaming, marital subjugation and other abuses surprisingly similar to those faced by many modern women 4,000 years later.

A Deeper Connection

When I share my work and these stories, I encourage people to look deeper. These are not just portraits; they are nearly forgotten stories with lessons we have failed to learn in millennia.

How far have we really progressed as a global community?

How can we better help women gain strength from suffering?

In what other ways do we destroy the inner goddess in every modern women?